


Yellow Journalism and Red Faces

by amandasarmada



Series: What Else? [12]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 00:30:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2831561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandasarmada/pseuds/amandasarmada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuing with C.J. and Danny's adventures in California, a book is released that raises tensions among the former Bartlet staff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yellow Journalism and Red Faces

**Author's Note:**

> Haha, I have no idea where this came from. I just thought it was important to show C.J. and Danny fighting a little before I make them get marrrrrrrrrried. *kissy kissy noises* This ended up being really fun to write though, hopefully it's fun to read, and if you like it please leave a review!

**April 19, 2007**

“I _hate_ that asshole!” C.J. exploded, storming in the door. “Did you _see_ it?”

“I caught one or two minutes,” Danny conceded, looking up at her from the couch, tight-lipped.

“Do you know what his problem is?” C.J. demanded, slamming her purse down on the kitchen bar. “It's coddling. _Male entitlement._ This _royal prick_ thinks he can go on national television and spew whatever bull-headed nonsense pops into his brain, because who's going to question him? He's 55, white, rich, and powerful. Well, I'll tell you what, he's got another thing comin'.”

“Well, I'm sure that's part of it,” Danny agreed calmly. “I think another is that, as you pointed out, he's a wholehearted prick, and he has a lot of stock in getting you riled up.”

“Do you think I don't know that?” C.J. snapped indignantly. “You think I don't realize when I'm being messed around?”

Danny sighed, reaching for her.

“Don't _coddle_ me, Danny!” C.J. whipped her arm away. “I want to be mad and I have a _right_ to be mad!”

“I'm not arguing with you, Ceej,” Danny began.

“Well, that's a GOOD CALL!” she shouted. “Because if you did, you'd go down like a five-year-old on the monkey bars at the community park, just like that little _worm_ of a man is going to do the minute I get my hands on a mic!”

“You're going on the air?”

“You're damn right I'm going on the air!”

Danny put his hands up defensively. “C.J., I completely understand why you're upset.”

“Oh, do you? Do you _really_? Did you happen to 'catch' the minute where he implied I was sleeping with Greg Brock?” C.J. shouted.

“I did,” Danny said quietly, looking down at his hands.

C.J. froze. “Did you  _believe_ him?” she gaped.

“I did not,” Danny said firmly, meeting her gaze. He took her hand, and this time she let him, though a little begrudgingly.

“C.J., I'm on your side. I'm always gonna be on your side.” He pulled her into a quick hug. “And I know you. You don't ever have to defend yourself to me. Ever. Got that?” he asked, tipping her chin up with his thumb.

C.J. leaned into his arms, her breathing still rushed.

“I'm sorry,” she said after a moment.

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Danny said, kissing the side of her head. “Bob O'Larry is the Tim Russert of hillbillies, C.J. He makes Taylor Reid look like Walter Cronkite.”

“I know,” C.J. said softly.

Danny hugged her closer. “What do you say we come up with a way to fix it?”

**EARLIER THAT DAY**

“ _We're here today with political pundit Bob O'Larry, host of the popular news program 'The O'Larry Factor.' Bob is here to talk with us about his new book, 'Letting Bartlet Be Heartless,' a scathing indictment of President Bartlet's administration and the people behind it. Thank you for joining us today, Bob.”_

“ _Thanks for having me, John,” the stern-faced man said comfortably, settling into his chair._

“ _What can you tell us about your book?” the host asked genially._

“ _Well, it seeks to serve two purposes – the first, to reveal to the American people the level of incompetence and corruption that was at the heart of the Bartlet presidency, and the second, to illuminate how his staff was exemplary of the disorganization and lack of proper loyalty and patriotism that defines today's Democratic party.”_

“ _Can you give us an example of that, Bob?” the host asked eagerly._

“ _I'd be happy to,” Bob said smugly. “First of all – we're all aware, I think, that with the exception of C.J. Cregg, by his final year in office, all of Bartlet's original Senior Staff had either abandoned him, or been expelled from the White House in disgrace.” Bob scoffed. “And even the loyalty of Miss Cregg leaves something to be questioned. You'll remember, of course, that Miss Cregg was under suspicion herself during the investigation of the shuttle leak that ultimately lead to the firing of her close personal friend, former Communications Director Toby Ziegler.”_

“ _What are you suggesting there, Bob?” The host leaned forward curiously._

“ _Only that during her time as White House Press Secretary, Miss Cregg established some very close ties with the press. Some might say_ too _close.”_

“ _And what do you mean by that?” John pressed._

“ _Well, as my sources can exclusively reveal, Miss Cregg is actually currently living with and romantically involved with former Senior Correspondent to the White House Press Corps, Danny Concannon. There's also speculation that Miss Cregg maintained a sexual relationship with the reporter,_ during _President Bartlet's time in office. It certainly opens the door to the question of whether Miss Cregg was also involved with Greg Brock, the reporter who leaked Toby Ziegler's information on the shuttle that cost Mr. Ziegler his job and Mr. Brock his freedom.”_

**THE PRESENT, NEXT DAY**

“I'd just like to thank you again for joining us here today, Miss Cregg. I'm sure we're all interested in hearing what you have to say,” John Flannity smirked at her.

“Well John, I wish I could say I was happy to be here,” C.J. said bluntly. “But frankly, I find it appalling that I have to take time away from running a non-profit to dispute the tasteless, unfounded rumors of a yellow journalist.”

“So you think this is a waste of time?” John urged her, his eyebrows raised.

C.J. fixed him with a cold stare. “I don't think it's ever a waste of time to ensure we have a well-informed public. I was simply commenting on the failing integrity of the press, or what passes for it these days.”

“I take it then that you are denying the allegations Mr. O'Larry made against you and the Bartlet administration.”

“John, I am denying the allegations, the implications, and the very _basis_ of O'Larry's comments here. I think what Bob O'Larry knows about the inner workings of President Bartlet's tenure in the White House wouldn't fill a thimble. But enough with the preamble.

“Without having access to the full text, which hasn't been released yet, I can only address the specifics of O'Larry's statements from yesterday.” C.J. barreled on. “First, he discussed the changes made to President Bartlet's Senior Staff towards the end of his presidency. The first person to, and I quote Mr. O'Larry here, 'abandon' the president was his Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, who resigned after suffering a major heart attack. Bob O'Larry referred to this behavior as 'disloyal' and 'unpatriotic.' Of course, Leo McGarry can't refute this statement himself, as he suffered another heart attack this past fall, which proved to be fatal. The next to leave was Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman, who led a successful campaign that resulted in the election of President Matt Santos, hardly an act of dispatriotism or disloyalty to the Democratic Party. I would suggest that rather than these actions being symbolic of the supposed 'fracturing' of the party, it is evidence of its growth, as it continues to branch out and service more people.”

“I think we both know who you're leaving out though, Miss Cregg. What about the actions of Toby Ziegler?”

C.J. surveyed him calmly. “Toby Ziegler was pardoned. There are no charges standing against him.”

“Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon,” John pointed out, smirking. “Is a pardon a negation of guilt?”

“No, and I am not condoning Mr. Zeigler's actions. However, Nixon had concealed information of his own illegal activities, which threatened democracy itself. Toby Ziegler revealed information that saved lives, directly risking none in doing so. He acted not to _intentionally deceive_ the American people or to further his own political power, but out of what he believed to be a moral duty to his own conscience. It really does illuminate the priorities of the different parties, doesn't it?”

John Flannity cleared his throat. “And what about you, Miss Cregg? Do you deny being in a relationship with Washington Post reporter Danny Concannon?”

“No. I am dating Danny Concannon, who is no longer associated with any news publication, nor am I any longer an employee of the United States government. We did not partake in any unethical behavior during President Bartlet's time in office. In fact, if you follow Danny Concannon's career, you'll see that he was a foreign correspondent for several years of that time, meaning that we weren't even in the same hemisphere during much of President Bartlet's presidency. The American people deserve more from their media than baseless rumors on the love lives of White House staff, or in this case, former White House staff.”

“All right, C.J., I think that's all the time we have for tonight,” John commented, eyeing his producer.

“Of course, the American people also deserve to get their information from reporters who don't make a show of standing on soap boxes, caught up in moral proselytizing about ethics and patriotism, whilst simultaneously embezzling millions of dollars and hiding it in the Cayman Islands.”

There was a pause. “...Miss Cregg?”

“Oh, I assumed Bob O'Larry's sources would have 'exclusively revealed' it to you,” C.J. said calmly. “He's about to be arrested for embezzlement and tax evasion.” She shrugged.

* * *

“ _I got something good, C.J..”_

“ _You didn't have to do this, Danny.”_

“ _Ah, I kinda did actually. You wanna hear it or not?”_

“ _Well I'm going to hear about it either way, so it might as well be now from you.”_

“ _How well do you think Bob O'Reilly's book is going to sell once people find out he's going to be receiving his royalty check from inside a prison cell?”_

* * *

“You're kind of a badass, you know,” C.J. murmured to Danny that evening, curled up next to him on the couch as he stroked her hair.

“Danny Concannon, Renegade Reporter,” Danny joked, trying to deepen his voice in an effort to make her laugh.

C.J. was quiet. “Do you feel bad?”

Danny frowned, craning his neck to catch her eye “Not particularly. Why? Do  _you_ feel bad?”

“I just feel weird. I'm not sure I can explain it.”

Danny sighed, shifting so they could face each other, and turning off the TV. “Bob O'Larry knew what he was getting into when he mentioned my name. Or he should have, anyway. Don't point the finger, lest ye too be judged, and all that.” He took in C.J.'s still-troubled expression.

“I didn't do anything unethical to find the information, C.J. I didn't make anything up, or do anything illegal to obtain the information. He broke the law, and he got caught. That's all there is to it.”

“No, I know you're right. I just...it feels a little too much like revenge. Like, it wasn't so much _what_ we did, but the _way_ we did it. I didn't do it for the right reasons. I wasn't seeking justice, I just wanted to watch him go down. It's all just more dirty Washington politics. I never wanted to contribute to that.” C.J. sighed, shaking her head.

“C.J., you didn't. I understand why you feel that way, but Bob O'Larry is slandering you and half of President Bartlet's former staff, and making money off it to boot. That, on top of the millions of dollars he stole from the American people. He deserves to go to prison, and you were part of making sure that happened. It's a good thing. Besides, we didn't set him up for a fall, he set himself up by committing a crime, then putting himself on a pedestal and trying to do the hokey pokey on it.”

C.J. laughed a little. “Yeah.” Danny surveyed her intently.

“Think of it this way. Me doing the digging and releasing the story? It wasn't just for you, so don't go feeling guilty, or like you used me, or like you got rescued by me. In implying that we were sleeping together while we both worked at the White House, and suggesting that was how I got some of my best stories, he was insulting my career too. He was saying I'm not a good enough reporter to succeed on my own merits.”

“That's true,” C.J. murmured.

Danny continued to stare at her, before coming to the conclusion nothing would fully settle her thoughts on the matter. “I got a call from the Bartlets, after it aired.”

“I'm surprised I didn't too, for what I said about Toby,” C.J. muttered thoughtfully. “I got an earful from Josh, though.” She paused. “What did he say?”

“No, this was after the first interview, with O'Larry. Just nerves, I told them no one is going to take anything Bob O'Larry says too seriously, except his already loyal fans, all of whom are diehard Republicans and wouldn't so much as vote for someone wearing blue in something as trivial as a school board election. He knew that, of course, but like you, it was hard for him not to be riled up. Not so much for what might be said about him, but about you and the others. He said you were like a daughter to him.” C.J. smiled. “And anyway, by the time I get a book done on him _or_ the First Lady, it'll have all blown over. There's no point in trying to rush the process to try to keep up, it'll only be a disservice to the work.”

“Have you got anything set up on that?” C.J. asked curiously.

“I do! With all the hubbub, I forgot to tell you. I have a meeting with my publisher on Monday. I'll probably try to set some interviews up for over the summer, before the semester starts. With Skype though, it'll be a lot easier than even only a few years ago. But I want to take my time with it, really make it something meaningful.”

“Are you going to start with the First Lady's book?”

“It'll be released first, definitely – I'm sure my publisher will want it to trump up excitement and publicity for Bartlet's – and I'll be focusing on her primarily, but I also want to get in some interviews with Bartlet and other close aides while it's still fresh. Then, I can go back and see how their perspectives have changed in hindsight.”

“Will you want to interview me for it?”

Danny paused, reflecting. “I think I'll have to – if you want to talk to me, I mean,” C.J. nodded, dismissing the unasked question. “I'll just have to talk it over at the meeting, make sure everything's handled ethically and all that. I don't think it'll be such a big deal though.”

“Good,” C.J. said, settling back into his chest. “I really do love you,” she said after a moment, looking pensive. Danny grinned at her, kissing the top of her head.

“I'm sorry they brought you into it,” C.J. said softly, and Danny paused, taking a moment to adjust to the change of subject. He frowned.

“C.J., the second they involve you, I'm already brought into it. That's what being in a partnership _means._ ” He squeezed her hand. She smiled weakly at him.

“You know the funny thing? I didn't mind so much being rescued by you. And it's not like you did all of it. I was doing all right before I dropped that little bombshell.”

“You were doing incredible. Talk about being a badass.”

“You're sweet.” C.J. kissed him.

“I sort of liked rescuing you,” Danny admitted, in a raspy voice.

“I know you did,” C.J. said softly, letting her sink into his embrace. Danny kissed her head again, taking a moment to inhale the flowery scent of her shampoo.

“Come on,” Danny said, standing up and pulling her with him, gently putting his arms around her as he guided her out of the living room. “You've had a long couple of days. I'm drawing you a bath.”

“You should join me.”

 


End file.
